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THE ART O F BA'pC 







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•• nil«-I#»rv lonrnnl 



THE ART OF 

BASE B^LL B^niNG, 



CONTAINING INSTRUCTIVE CHAPTERS ON 

SCIENTIFIC BATTING, SKILLFUL HANDLING OF THE BAT, 
PLACING THE BALL, BASE HITS AND EARNED RUNS, THE 
RIGHT FORM FOR HITTING, PLAYING POINTS ON THE 
PITCHER, THE PROPER SWING OF THE BAT, 
FACING FOR POSITION, THE CORRECT POSI- 
TION IN BATTING, THE TRUE CRITERION 
OF EFFECTIVE HITTING, SACRIFICE 
HITTING, THE NEW RULES OF 
BATTING, ETC., ETC. 



HENRY CHADWICK, 

ILLUSTRATED BY 

GEO. H. BENEDICT. 



(Copyrighted.) ,/'<*^' C^ ' '^- ^ /^ /■ 



PUBLISHED BY 



A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 

241 BROADWAY, 108 MADISON ST. 

HEW YORK. CHICAGO. 



Q:> 



Entered According to Act of Congress in the Year 1885 
— BY — 

A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. 



)i,ii^ 



PREFACE. 



The great sale following the publication of No. i 
of Spalding's Hand Book Series on " The Art of 
Pitching^'' has led to the prompt issue of No. 2 of 
the series, which is a companion work on " The Art 
of Battinq^'^ in which are presented interesting chap- 
ters on what may be termed the science of the art, 
which are accompanied by explanatory diagrams, and 
engravings illustrative of the different positions taken 
in batting. This second work will shortly be fol- 
lowed by a third book, on " Base Ru7ining and 
Fielding^'' which will complete a very interesting 
and instructive series of handbooks on the four de- 
partments of the national game. While all of these 
books are especially adapted for the use of the profes- 
sional class of the exemplars of base ball, they will be 
found equally useful and interesting to the amateur 
branch of the fraternity, who form the large majority 
of the votaries of the game. The low price of each 
work places them at the command of all, and the 
result cannot but be greatly advantageous to the 
growth of the game toward the point of perfect play 
in its several departments, 

(5) 



INTRODUCTION. 



A noteworthy feature of the improvement which 
has taken place in the general playing of the game of 
base ball, has been the marked difTerence in the ad- 
vance made in the fielding department compared to 
that of the batting. In the progress of education in 
the knowledge of what may be termed the "science 
of the game," the art of batting has greatly lagged 
behind that of fielding ; and one reason for this has 
been the fact that but little attention has been jDaid to 
the study of the theory of skillful batting, while 
improvement in fielding has been forced on the pro- 
fessional class by the fact that the great mass of the 
patrons of the game, while knowing little or nothing 
about scientific batting, can fully appreciate the beauty 
of skillful exhibitions in the field ; and hence an im- 
petus has been given to a spirit of rivalry in fielding 
excellence, while in regard to batting the incorrect 
data on which the annual statistics of average play at 
the bat are made up, and the premium wdiich is 
offered to "record playing" at the bat by the injudi- 
cious method of scoring the game, and the promi- 
nence given to batsmen in the line of heavy hitting, 
has had the effect of retarding the progress of the true 
art of skillfully handling the ash. 

(6) 



INTRODUCTION. 7 

Up to within the past year or two a great deal of 
the batting done in the professional arena was but 
little, if any, in advance of that which characterized 
the prominent clubs of over a dozen years ago. One 
cause of this failure to improve batting as rapidly as 
fielding has been, has been the reluctance shown by 
the professionals to studying up the subject of how to 
handle the bat properly. For years past the majority 
of players have gone to the bat possessed either of 
bad habits in their manner of holding and -swinging 
the bat, or lacking in knowledge of how to use their 
bats with the best effect, even if they did stand in a 
correct position and hold their bats properly. As a 
general thing, thev have taken their stand at the bat 
with no fixed rule of action, but simply on the princi- 
ple of going in for general results, as it were, trusting 
to what is called "luck." One player's idea is to hit 
as hard as he can at the first ball that comes within 
his reach. Another's is to wait for a particular kind 
of ball, a jDet of his, and then hit it as if his sole object 
was " to knock the stuffing out of it." This kind of 
batting Is especially characteristic of " hard hitters" 
or home-run-hitters — men who think that the end 
and aim of a batsman Is to make home-runs. This 
class of batsmen average a home-run hit to about 
every three or four "outs from poorly-hit balls. Of 
course, keen sight and muscular strength are 'essentials 
In batting skill, but judgment and Its practical exem- 
plification in strategic play are even more important. 
The batsman who can be most relied upon for a 



8 INTRODUgriON. 

single-base hit is worth two of your home-run class of 
hitters. The former is the man to win in the long 
run, though the latter may excel in cutting a dash or 
making a showy splurge in odd games. 

In the science of batting there are certain rules, the 
neglect of which must prove damaging to the bats- 
man's general play. First comes the rule which 
requires that he should " stand at ease " when he 
takes his position at the bat ; that is, to stand so as to 
be able to swing his bat to meet the ball with the 
easiest movement at command. Then there comes the 
rule governing the j^roper method of swinging the 
bat forward to meet the ball ; in this latter the man- 
ner in which he stands has an important bearing. 
The proper poising of the bat preliminary to making 
the forward swing in striking, too, is an important 
matter. But the one thing in the science of batting 
which has, up to within a year or two past, been but 
little understood, or, if understood, has been sadly 
neglected, is the rule governing what is technically 
called ''''facing for •position "-—that is, taking your 
stand at the bat in such a manner as to lead to the 
control of the regular swing of tl'Jte bat, causing it to 
meet the ball so as to send it in the direction of either 
one or the other of the three outfield positions of the 
field, viz., The right, center, or left field. More atten. 
tion has been paid to this by the more intelligent class 
of professionals of late than ever before, and the result 
has been, to that extent, improvement in batting* 
But, as a general thing, chance hitting has been too 



INTRODUCTION. 9 

much in vogue for any marked progress in scientific 
batting. This, and the paying of too much attention 
to tlie playing for a record — tiie record in question 
being one which gives no criterion of skillful play ^t 
the bat whatever — have been the principal drawbacks 
to a relative advance in the practical knowledge of 
the true art of batting, in comparison to that which 
has characterized the fielding in the game. 

A great inducement held out to the class of heavy 
hitters is the prominence given by base ball writers 
of the sporting papers, and in the columns of the 
dailies which give space to reports of the doings of 
the fraternity in the field, to total base hits. Some of 
these papers not only enlarge the scores with details 
of two and three base hits and home runs, but they 
give special prominence in their Introductions to the 
scores, to the batsmen who excel in making " two 
baggers," and " three baggers," while they add a spec- 
ial point of praise to the batsman who scores a home- 
run, no matter whether the player who makes it has 
to tire himself out with a 120 yards "spurt," at his 
utmost speed, to gain a single run, or to bring in one 
or two base running companions. The practical effect 
of all this Is to destroy a batsman's ambition to excel as 
a "team player" in batting, and to drive him into play- 
ing solely for a high average record of total bases. 
We hope to show in the following chapters that 
scientific batting is the basis of successful team work 
in handling the ash, and that the batsman who can 
the most easily earn a single base, and who is willing 



lO 



INTRODUCTION. 



to sacrifice his record of total bases and a high aver- 
age in faulty statistics in order to bring in a needed 
run, does work in batting in "plaj^ing for the side'' 
worth all that the most brilliant heavy hitting bats- 
men ever accomplished. 




THE ART OF BATTING. 

In no department of the game are more facilities 
offered for strategic play than in batting; but it re- 
quires an intelligent player to engage in it success- 
fully. The batsman who would be invariably 
successful must resort to strategy, for if he depends 
solely upon a quick eye and a strong arm he will fail. 
These are very excellent as aids, but a comparatively 
poor dependence to place your trust in altogether. 
The batsman, when he takes his bat in hand, finds 
opposed to him nine men, and though to the casual 
observer it may seem a very easy undertaking to bat 
a ball out of the reach of only nine men, covering as 
large a space as a four or fi^e acre field; yet when 
you come to face nine experienced and active fielders, 
you will soon be taught to realize the fact that 
" headwork " is as important an element of success in 
batting as it is in pitching; and you will then see that 
to earn bases on hits, and thereby to score runs, you 
will have to play "point" pretty skillfully. 

From the moment the batsman takes his stand at 
the bat, to the time he strikes a fair ball he should 
stand in proper form for hitting at every ball, or he 
will be sure to be caught napping by a skillful 
pitcher, and find himself retiring from a tip, a poorly 
(II) 



13 THE ART OF BATTING. 

hit ball, or from called strikes, instead of taking a 
well earned baae. This proper form for a hit is im- 
portant. It is fatiguing, of course, to stand still and 
keep prepared for hitting, while ball after ball is sent 
in out of reach; but it must be done in order to secure 
chances for hitting the ball you want when it does 
come. A skillful pitcher is always on the alert to 
find the batsman "out of form," and not prepared to 
hit, and the moment he sees him thus standing " on 
the loose," he is sure to send him a good ball, and the 
batsman either strikes at it hastily or lets it go by 
him, only to see the ball fielded easily, or a strike 
called on him. The batsman is only in proper form 
for a good hit when he stands squarely on his feet, 
with the bat grasped firmly about six or eight inches 
from the end of the handle, and with the point of the 
bat partly resting over his shoulder. He should 
never hold it horizontally, and especially should he 
avoid pointing it toward the pitcher. In fact, the 
only way in which he can swing it so as to meet the 
ball at the proper angle is to bring it down from the 
shoulder; lie then brings the weight of the bat as 
well as the power of his' arms and wrists to bear upon 
the stroke. In standing ready, prepared to meet the 
ball, his right foot should be firmly placed on 
the ground as a pivot foot, leaving his left foot loosely 
touching the ground ready for a springy, forward 
step to give direction to the hit, as an additional 
impetus to the stroke. 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



13 



THE FORWARD SWING OF THE BAT. 

The batsman who would excel in scientific hitting 
must study up well the theory of the art. It is 
one thing to take up the bat and " slug" away with 
all the force at your command at the ball, with the 
single idea of hitting the ball as far out in the field as 
you can; but it is quite another thing to take your 
stand, bat in hand, well posted in all the points in 
batting, and ready to match strategic skill in hand- 
ling the ash against strategic pitching, point for 




point, and with a special object in view in making 
every hit. There are many points to learn before a 
batsman can arrive at any marked degree of skill in 
hitting. First, he should learn the bearings of the 
natural swing of the bat in meeting the ball, and the 
different effect of a swift and a slow stroke in forming 



14 THE ART OF BATTING. 

these bearings. Measuring the semi-circular line of 
the swing of the bat from its position as it is held over 
the shoulder, to the point of its meeting the ball, it 
will be seen that the swiftness of the stroke has a 
great deal to do with giving direction to the ball. A 
slow stroke will meet the ball back of the base; a 
medium stroke will meet it on the line of the base, 
and a quick stroke in front of it. The lines of these 
strokes are shown in the above diagram. 

The slow stroke would send the ball toward the 
right field; the medium stroke toward the center, 
and the quick stroke to the left. So much for the 
.lines of the forward swing of the bat against the ordi- 
nary speed of the delivery of the ball to the bat. In 
addition, however, the varying speed of the pitched 
ball has to be taken into consideration, inasmuch as 
a slow pitched ball would meet the slow stroke on 
the line of the base instead of back of it; while a very 
swiftly pitched ball would meet the swift stroke in 
the same place, instead of in front of the base. The 
pace of the ball, therefore, has to be taken into the 
calculation in estimating the force of the forward 
swing of the bat in giving the ball any special direc- 
tion. 

FACING FOR POSITION. 

One thing in the science of batting which has only 
of late years been understood, is the rule governing 
what is technically called "facing for position" — 
tRat is, taking your stand at the bat in such a manner 



THE ART OF BATTING. I5 

as to lead to the control of the regular swing of the 
bat, causing it to meet the ball so as to send it in the 
direction of either one or the other of the three out- 
field positions of the field, viz.. The right, center, or 
left field. This " facing for position" is a subject 
calling for some study of the rules which govern it. 
Just as a man stands at the bat, just so will the regu- 
lar or forward swing of the bat meet the ball, all 
things, of course, being equal, viz., the rapidity of 
the forward swing being in proportion to the speed 
of the delivered ball. But the general direction of 
the ball, from a regular and proportioned swing of 
the bat, is governed by the manner in which the 
batsman stands when prepared to strike at the ball — 
that is, in proportion as he "faces" for the right, the 
center or the left. As a general rule, in order to 
send a ball to the right he should face almost as if 
the first baseman was going to pitcli the ball to him, 
and not the pitcher. The three in-fielders, therefore, 
to face any one of whom the batsman should stand 
when about to strike at the ball, are the first-base- 
man, the pitcher and the third-baseman, just as he 
desires to send the ball in the direction of the right, 
the center, or the left field. We have frequently seen 
important batting points lost in a match owing to the 
failure of the batsman to properly face for position. 
Take, for instance, the position of a game when a 
runner is on third base, with but one man out, and 
the batsman goes to the bat. Without regarding 
anything but his making a long hit to the outer field, 



l6 THE ART OF BATTING. 

he takes his position so that the regular forward 
swing of the bat will cause it to meet the ball either 
at the line of the honae base or in front of it, and the 
result is that the ball is hit either to pitcher, second 
baseman or short-stop, thereby preventing the runner 
from going home from third, even if the striker be 
not put out. Now, had the batting point in this case 
been properly played, the batsman would have taken 
up his position so as to have faced for right field, 
thereby almost insuring the ball's being hit in that 
direction, in which case the rurmer would have been 
enabled to score his run even if the batsman had sac- 
rificed himself by his hit. This is but one phase of 
the rule governing facing for- position in batting, but 
it suffices to show the importance of the subject. 

When a hit to left field is desired the batsman takes 
his stand as if the short stop in his regular position 
was about to pitch the ball to him, and this brings 
the regular forward swing of the bat so as to meet 
the ball in front of the home base, the diagram show- 
ing the lines of the forward swing of the bat, and 
also that of the direction given the ball, as follows. 

The batsman when about to hit to center field, or 
to the pitcher, should stand in the ordinary position, 
the lines of which are shown in the appended diagram. 

For right field hitting the batsman should face the 
first baseman, in which case the swing of the bat 
would meet the ball and send it in direction shown 
in the appended diagram. 

If the batsman is a quick hitter he should invariably 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



17 



face for right field hitting if the pitching is fast, but 
if medium paced he would do better to face the 
pitcher or short stop. 

The appended cuts illustrate the three positions 
taken by the batsman when facing for left, center and 
right field. 




FACING FOR LEFT FIELD. 



The dotted lines show not only the position of the 
bat when the swing is made, but also the direction 



i8 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



of the forward swing, and of the ball as it leaves the 
bat. 




FACING FOR CENTER FIELD. 

Of course in thus meeting the ball the position of the 
pitcher as to his standing to the extreme right or left 
of his position in delivering the ball, should be taken 
into consideration, as it materially affects the angle of 
the ball on its return from the bat. 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



19 




FACING FOR RIGHT FIELD. 



High balls are the best to hit at when facing for 
right field when the pitching is swift; a slight stroke 
from the bat will frequently send it safe out of reach of 
the in-fielders, viz. : First baseman and second baseman 
at right short, and yet not far enough out for the right 
fielder to catch. 



20 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



A close study of the various forces governing the 
swing of the bat in meeting the ball, and of the rules 
applicable to "facing for position," will fully prepare 
the batsman for taking his stand at the bat ready for 
active service, 

THE POSITION IN BATTING. 

The position taken by the batsman when he takes 




his stand at the bat, has a great deal to do with his sue- 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



cess or failure in hittino^. When once a batsman gets 
into a bad habit, either in his manner of holdinof the 
bat, or in the way he stands, it is difficult to get out 
of it, and it always interferes with his success as an 
effective batsman. Many players are accustomed to 




hold their bats directly in front of them, and pointed 
toward the pitcher. This necessitates the with- 
drawal of the bat previous to swinging it forward to 
meet the ball, thereby making two movements of 



22 THE ART OF BATTING. 

the bat instead of one, and, of course, marring the 
aim in striking. This bad position is illustrated in 
the cut on page 20. 




STANDING IN GOOD FORM. 



Confidence is ever3'thing in batting, and you can 
never feel confidence in your ability to bat well unless 
you are accustomed to a regular position both in 



THE ART OF BATTING. 23 

standing ready to strike, and ni properly holding your 
bat so as to use it with the best effect. It is hardly 
possible for a batsman who is accustomed to strike in 
what may be called bad form, to hit the ball so as to 
"place it" where he wants to, because to do this the 
bat must be swung forward with -an accuracy of aim 
which a bad method of holding it renders scarcely 
possible. Here is another faulty method of holding 
the bat, as shown in the cut on page 3i. 

In the first cut the batsman is shown in the act ot 
preparing to meet the ball with his bat poked out 
straight in front of him. Of course, in order to strike 
the ball, he must withdraw it so as to make the for- 
ward swing, and thereby he has to make an un- 
necessary motion, the effect of which is to disturb his 
aim in hitting. In the second cut he is shown as 
standing with his bat held horizontally, and though it 
is not as bad a position as the other, it is still a faulty 
one. The cut on page 23 shows a correct position in 
standing ready for an effective hit. It is that of the 
late Gen. Thos. vS. Dakin, the old pitcher of the Put- 
nam Club of Brooklyn of i860. George Wright 
holds the bat a little further back over the^ shoulder 
than the General did. The important point is to get 
the best balance of the bat so that its weight should 
not trouble the wrists too much. 

The correct position for a batsman is to stand well 
on his right foot, having his left foot touching the 
ground lightly, thereby making his right the pivot 
foot. By this means he will gain a body swing to 



24 



THE ART OP^ BATTIXG. 



give aaditional force to the swing of his arms in bat- 
ting. In holding the bat, he should keep it poised so 
as to have it ready for the regular forward swing, as 
shovs^n in the cut on page 23. 




Being ready to hit and standing in " good form'' 
until the bail is sent in which you want, is an im- 
portant element of success in batting. 



THE ART OF BATTING. 2^ 

From the moment the batsman takes his stand at 
the bat, to the time he hits a fair ball, he should 
stand in proper form for hitting every single ball 
pitched to him. Unless he makes this a habit, he 
will surely be found a ready victim, to a more or less 
extent, for a skilful, strategic pitcher. The rule, with 
a good batsman, is always to be in form all the while 
he is at the bat. This is specially necessary to meet 
the uncertainties of a curved line delivery. How 
often do we see batsmen go to the bat, one after the 
other, and as they take their stand, get into fair form 
for the first two or three balls, and then, on finding 
that the pitcher's delivery is rather wild, stand at ease, 
as it were, quite unprepared to hit in proper form, 
only to see the ball come in over the base, and at the 
height indicated, while they either fail to strike at it 
or miss the ball if they do, simply because they did 
not stand prepared to meet it, or, in other words, 
were not in form for batting. The moment a shrewd, 
strategic pitcher sees a batsman standing at the bat in 
bad form, he feels sure of capturing him. On the 
other hand, it bothers the best pitchers to see the 
batsman untiring in his efforts to stand in good form 
in his position, and fully prepared to meet every ball 
pitched to him. This "proper form" for hitting 
every ball is, of course, fatiguing to the batsman, 
when the pitching is at all wild, but it must be kept 
up in order to secure chances for hitting the ball 
when it comes within fair reach of the bat. 

A point to play on the pitcher in connection with 



26 THE ART OF BATTING. 

this standing in good form, is to pretend to stand at 
the bat as if tired of waiting for a good ball, and 
yet to be on the alert to meet a quickly pitched ball 
sent in to catch you napping while you are apparently 
out of form for good hitting. Another good point to 
play on the pitcher is to deceive him in regard to 
your facing for position. Suppose, for instance, that 
when you take your position at the bat you ''face" 
for a hit to first base.'* The pitcher or catcher, seeing 
this, will signal the first baseman to play up closer to 
his base; to the second baseman to go to right short, 
and to the right fielder to " come in a little." Now, 
suppose again, that while " facing" for the hit in 
question you so time the swing of the bat as to meet 
the ball considerably forward of the base, instead of 
hitting it to the part of the field your opponents had 
been led to expect you would by the manner in which 
you " faced for the hit," the result will be a safe hit 
to an unguarded quarter, and a pretty display of skilful 
batting. But this strategic play is anything but easy 
of accomplishment; a thorough command of the bat, 
considerable experience, and a quick eye being neces- 
sary. 

FIRST BASE HITS. 

Base hits are the chief criterion of eflfective batting, 
and earned runs oflf the pitching are the reward of 
such hitting. Just here comes the pertinent queries 
of what constitutes a " base hit," and what is an earned 
run ? With all due regard for the capabilities of the 



THE ART OF BATTING. 2^ 

many intelligent and competent scorers who have 
had to decide upon the questions of base-hits scored 
and runs earned during the base-ball campaign of 
1884 it is a fact well known that the majority are so 
involuntarily biased by their connection with the 
clubs for which they score, that scarcely any two can 
be found who are in full accord in their views on the 
subject of base-hits and earned runs. When "doctors 
disagree," an outside individual, who is removed from 
party bias, must step in and decide the disputed point 
— as we propose to do in this article on base-hits and 
earned runs. In rendering a decision likely to govern 
the matter, we shall be guided, as hitherto, solely by 
our efforts to promote the best interests of the game in 
bringing it up to the highest standpoint of a scientific 
field-sport, and we hope again to merit that attention 
to our views which has hitherto been accorded them. 
The first question to be answered is: What is a base 
hit? and the reply to the query is that it is a hit 
which secures to the batsman his first base without 
the aid of even a doubtful error by any one fielder. 
In order to give a clear definition of the term, how- 
ever, we enumerate below the special instances in 
which base-hits are made: 

Fii'stly. — When a ball is hit fairly along the 
ground to any part of the field out of possible reach 
of any of the fielders. 

Secondly. — When a ball is hit fairly over the heads 
of any of the in-fielders, and so as to fall short of 
allowing any of the out-fielders a fair chance to catch it. 



25 THE ART OF BATTING. 

Thi7'dly. — When a high fly-ball is hit fairly over 
the heads and out of fair reach of the out-fielders. 
i Fourthly. — When a ground ball is hit with such 
force from the bat as to render it almost a physical 
impossibility to stop it, or, if partially stopped, to 
grasp it in time to throw it accurately to a base- 
player. 

Fifthly. — When a line fly ball is hit with such 
force from the bat as to make it diflicult even to 
partially stop it, and still more so to hold it on the 
fly. 

No one will question the fact, we think, that all of 
the above hits are base hits which clearl}^ earn first 
base for the batsman. There is still another hit 
which earns a base at least three times out of five 
that the hit is made, and that is when a ball is hit 
fairly, but in such a manner as to roll slowly to the 
center of the tiiangle formed by the pitcher, striker, 
and first baseman's positions. In regard to this 
last character of hit, we have to state that out of some 
thirty odd instances during a special period of play 
in which a ball has been hit in the manner described, 
we have seen but four successful efforts made to put 
the striker out, and then it was chiefly the result of 
slow running to the first base. The difliculty atten- 
dant upon fielding such a ball is that the pitcher 
cannot well get it and throw it accurately to first base 
before the striker can reach his base, while neither 
can the first baseman run and field it and return to 
his base in time, nor can the pitcher run across to 



THE ART OF BATTING. 39 

first base and take such ball In time if fielded by the 
first baseman, even if the two players should agree 
upon so fielding the ball, which they rarely do. It 
is rather an accidental hit, it is true — the result of 
hitting the ball by the bat near to the handle, thereby 
giving a weak blow to the right. Nevertheless, as 
it is a hit which effectually — in a large majority of 
instances — prevents the fielder from getting the ball 
in time to throw the striker out, it cannot be recorded 
otherwise than as a base-hit. In regard to the drop- 
ping of a hard hit line ball on the fly, or the failure 
to field a hard hit ground ball, there will doubtless 
be some objection urged to the crediting a base hit 
for such apparently missed chance. But if any man 
will realize by practical experience the danger and 
difficulty of stopping a hot ground-ball that has had 
a rifle-like twist imparted to it by the blow of the 
bat, or of securely holding a similarly batted fly-balls 
he will not hesitate in awarding the batsman the 
credit of a base-hit for any such ball, which the fielder 
finds it impossible to stop or to grasp in time to put 
the striker out. Of course, there are hot ground-balls 
that should be stopped and picked up in time, and 
which, if not so fielded, do not yield base-hits, as, 
also, hot-line balls, which, if not caught, give bases on 
errors. But the hits we refer to are exceptional ones ; 
and when they are made, the batsmen who make 
them are entitled to the credit of base-hits. There 
are certain bounds to the ability of fielders to stop 
and catch balls, and these bounds are exceeded in 
the special cases we refer to. 



go THE ART OF BATTING. 

WHAT ARE NOT BASE HITS. 

We now come to the next important query con- 
nected with hitting for bases, and that is: " What is 
not a base hit?" and the reply is conveyed in the 
following described instances of failures to accept 
chances for outs. 

Firstly. — No ball which is hit so as to admit of 
its being fairly caught on the fly can earn a base. 

Secondly. — No ball hit to any of the in-fielders in 
such a way as to admit of their picking it up and 
throwing it to any baseman in time to put an op- 
ponent out, can earn a base. 

Thirdly. — No ball similarly hit to any in-fielder, 
and which is picked up neatly, but thrown too high 
or too low or yvide to any baseman, can earn a base. 

Fourthly. — No ball similarly hit, well picked up, 
and accurately thrown to a baseman, but which is 
muffed by the basemen, can earn a base. 

Fifthly.— No ball hit so as to give an easy op- 
portunity to any fielder for a catch can earn a base, 
if the fielder, through the failure of the captain to 
call him or through any gross carelessness in fielding, 
fails to avail himself of the plain opportunity for 
making the catch. 

Now, there is no questioning the fact that not one 
of the above hits is such as to be claimed as a base- 
hit, or a hit that earns a base. The rule which 
prevents a base being earned by any hit that ■ is 
marked by a fielding error has its exception, and that 



THE ART OF BATTING. 3 1 

exception is when the hall is sent so swiftly and 
sharply from the bat as to render it almost impossible 
for the pluckiest of fielders to stop or hold it. But 
all ordinary errors, such as dropped fly-balls, bad 
muffs, wild throws, and failures on the part of base- 
players to hold good balls thrown to them — all count 
in preventing base-hits being made. A " hot" ball 
which is well stopped, but which, in the effort to 
grasp it, is fumbled, is in a majority of instances an 
error by the fielder, and prevents a base-hit; while 
high or line-balls to the out field, which fielders run 
in for and fail to hold in their efforts to catch them 
while stooping low near the ground, cannot justly be 
regarded as errors, and In a majority of instances such 
hits earn bases. Unfortunately this degree of latitude 
in judging of base hits in doubtful cases, like the ex- 
ceptions above noted, open the door to quite a dif- 
ference in the records of official scores in match 
games, and hence the inaccuracy of so much of the 
data on which the season's average are made out. 

EARNED RUNS. 

In regard to taking an account of runs scored by 
skilful batsmen two calculations have to be made — 
one of runs earned from opportunities offered by the 
pitcher for base-hits, and the other of runs earned 
from chances given by the fielders for successful base- 
running. Of course, no runs can be earned off the 
pitching unless by base-hits; and no runs can be 
earned by chances given for successful base-running 



32 THE ART OF BATTING. 

through such direct fielding errors as "dropped fly- 
balls," « wild throws" and "muffed" or "fumbled" 
balls; or from such "battery" errors as wild pitches, 
called balls, or passed balls. The definitions of the 
term used to designate direct fielding errors are, a 
missed catchy a muffed ball; a fumbled ball; or a 
wide throw ; while those used for direct battery errors 
viz: Errors on which bases are run or runs scored but 
not on lines given are wild •pitches^ the sixth called 
ball^ and passed balls^ a wild throw to a base by the 
catcher being as much of a direct fielding error as is 
a wild throw to' a base by the pitcher. 

Any ball dropped by the fielder, fair or foul, which 
he had a chance to catch, must be recorded as a 
"missed catch." The fact of his merely touching a 
fly -ball does not necessitate the record of a miss; he 
must have had a fair chance oflfered him to catch the 
ball. On the other hand, the failure to touch the 
ball does not absolve him from being charged with a 
missed catch ; for, if a high ball is hit which affords 
an easy chance for a catch, and the fielder, by lack of 
activity, or by a palpable error of judgment, fails to 
properly make an eflfort for the catch, he should be 
charged with the error. In the case of a chance for 
a catch, purposely missed in order to secure a chance 
for a double play from a "force off*," no error should 
be charged unless the missed chance for the catch is 
followed by a bad throw to the base player, in which 
case the bad throw must be charged as the error. 

A fielder makes a "muflf" when in his efforts to 



THE ART OF BATTING. 33 

field a ball he only partially stops it, or fails to pick 
it up so as to throw it in time. This does not apply 
however, to cases of failures to stop or hold very 
swiftly-batted or thrown balls; but only to palpable 
errors in failing to field ordinary balls from the bat. 
A base-player failing to hold a ball not thrown wide 
to him, makes a muff. But if the ball is thrown to 
him on the bound, no error is justly chargeable to him 
if he fails to hold it; while if he does hold it, all the 
more credit is due him. 

A fielder is said to "fumble" or "juggle" a baU 
when, after stopping it, he has to try two or three 
times to pick it up to throw it. It is a variation of 
the "muflf," more frequently accidental tlian the re- 
sult of unskillful play. 

Wide or "wild" throws are made in two ways — 
first, by inaccuracy of aim and unskilful throwing; 
and secondly, by the difficulty of stopping and pick- 
ing up a hot ball so as to throw it with comparative 
leisure. Hard hit balls to third base generally il- 
lustrate the difficulties attendant upon a good 
thrower's efforts to throw to the other bases ac- 
curately. A ball thrown over the head of a base- 
player or fielder, or to either side of him out of reach, 
or on a low bound, is a "wide throw." 

All these errors come under the head of "direct field- 
ing" errors in contra-distinction to "battery errors," 
which include only passed balls, wild pitches and 
bases on called balls. Of course no errors follow a 
swild pitch or a passed ball unless a base is run on it. 

3 



34 THE ART OF BATTING. 

"Wild pitches" are balls sent in out of the legitimate 
reach of the catcher, and on which a base is run. 
Passed balls are balls "muffed" or "fumbled" by the 
catcher after having been pitched to him within his 
legitimate reach, and on which a base is run. In the 
case of a very swiftly-pitched ball which the catcher 
holds on the fly but which he cannot gather himself 
in time to throw to a base to cut off a player, an 
error ought not to be charged — except, perhaps, on 
the part of the pitcher in delivering so swiftly when 
players a running bases. 

In regard to called balls, of course, only an error 
can be charged to the pitcher on the sixth called ball 
which gives the base. It is very questionable whether 
bases given in called balls should be included in the 
estimate of runs earned off the pitching. In the first 
place, the giving ot a base on called balls depends too 
much upon the umpire's leniency or strictness in in- 
terpreting the rules, and it is difficult to judge fairly 
whether a base on called balls is due to the umpire's 
strictness, the pitcher's wild delivery, or his playing 
a point to get out of a dangerous hitter; and, as some- 
times neither is at fiiult, the best way is to ignore 
called balls altogether, as something not to be used 
in estimating an earned run. While It is no discredit 
to a batsman to take a base on called balls. It certainly 
is not an act to be very proud of; and it may there- 
fore be set down as neither fornor against the earning 
of a run, and consequently we leave It out altogether. 

Runs earned from the pitcher include the following: 



THE ART OF BATTING. 35 

Firstly. — When four base-hits, each giving only 
one base, are made in succession. 

Secondly. — When the striker makes a clean home- 
run. 

Thirdly. — When the first striker makes a first- 
base hit, and the second makes a three-base hit, or 
vice versa. 

Fourthly, — When the first striker makes a first- 
base hit, the second a hit which, though limiting the 
striker to first-base, enables the base-runner to get 
to third, and the third striker a simple first-base hit. 
Ordinarily three first-base hits place only three men 
on bases without scoring a run. 

Fifthly. — When the first striker makes a first-base 
hit, and the second striker is put out by a hit to the 
field which only admits of the striker being put out, 
and prevents the player forced off, being put out by 
the ball being held at second or by his being touched 
while running to second. In such case, should the 
third striker be similarly put out, thus allowing the 
base-runner to reach third, a base-hit by the fourth 
striker would yield an earned run, though only two 
first-base hits were made; and it would be earned off 
the pitching, as it is presumed to be a point of play 
on the part of the pitcher in cases when the first 
striker makes his first base to deliver the ball so as to 
force the batsman to hit the ball to an in-fielder, in 
order that the fielder may capture the base-runner 
"forced off; "and if he fails to do this he is to be 



36 THE ART OP^ BATTING. 

charged with the style of punishment which an 
earned run gives. 

Runs earned from the field differ from those earned 
off the pitching, to the extent that sharp base-running 
comes into play as a basis of earned runs off the 
fielding, while successful base-running does not enter 
into the calculation of runs earned off the pitching 
alone. To illustrate the difference, we will quote 
from actual play : 

In the Chicago New York game at the Polo 
grounds on Sept. 25, 1884, in the fifth innings Keli\' 
of the Chicago Nine led off with a safe bounder to left 
field on which he easily earned his base. Anson 
followed with a similar ball to right field, and 
Williamson followed suit with another, on the latter 
of which Kelly scored an earned run, and off the 
pitching. Williamson was then caught napping ofT 
first base by Ewing, and then Burns hit a ball to 
Caskins whose wild throw to Cowan at first base 
sent Burns to second base, the error also sending 
Anson home, who otherwise would have been kept 
on third base. Burns afterward reached third base 
safely, and after PfefFer had been finely caught out 
on a foul fly by Dorgan at right field — Burns getting 
to third after the catch had been made — Flint hit a 
hot grounder to Troy earning his base and sending 
Burns home, and on Goldsmith's three base hit over 
Welch's head. Flint scored the fourth run. But for 
Caskins' wild throw but one run would have been 
earned off the pitching, as only Kelly would have 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



37 



scored his run from base hitting when Dorgan caught 
PfefFer out. As it was, however, sharp base running 
yielded an additional run which was earned off the 
field, while the other two additional runs were scored 
off the direct errors of the field, chiefly from Caskins' 
damaging throw. 

PLACING THE BALL. 

The highest degree of skill in scientific batting is 
reached when the batsman can " place a ball" — sent in 
by swift curved-line pitching — in any part of the field 
he chooses. It is, however, the most difficult of all 
batting feats which a batsman can attempt. There 
are so many points to be learned so as to become 
thoroughly familiar with them, before this placing of 
a ball can be accomplished, that it is rarely that one 
sees this finishing touch in the art of batting exhibited. 
But when it is at command, what an immense ad- 
vantage it gives the batsman in outwitting his field- 
ing opponents, and what an aid it is in sending 
runners round from first-base to home-base. Then 
it is that the necessity for making the placing of a 
ball a feature of a batsman's work becomes plainly 
apparent. When the professional fraternity have 
gone through the *' slugging" era, and the ambition 
to excel in the home-run style of batting has been 
superseded by more scientific work in handling the 
ash, the coming batsmen of the future will look back 
with surprise to think that they should, for so many 



38 THE. ART OF BATTING. 

years, have neglectectso valuable an adjunct of really 
effective and successful battino:. To hear the g^eneral 
class of batsmen comment on the efforts made to 
place a ball in a match, one would be apt to think 
that it was something next to impossible. The fact 
is, however, the majority of batsmen are too loth to 
take the necessary pains to learn how to place a ball. 
When do you ever see a team practicing scientific 
batting, or trying to learn to place a ball? When a 
nine takes the field for preliminary practice before 
the beginning of a match, some of them take their ac- 
customed positions in the field while two of them bat 
"fungo" halls — balls that are tossed up in the air and 
hit as they fall — to the fielders, and that is about all 
the practice they get as batsmen. In April, 1884, "^^ 
saw something better than this attempted on the 
Philadelphia Club field under Harry Wright's tuition, 
when the batsmen were allowed to bat at a dozen 
balls, each pitched to them for hitting purpose. As 
a general rule all the practice batting is for the pur- 
pose of giving chances for catches to the fielders. 
This is of great benefit in fielding improvement, and 
it is one of the reasons why the fielding leads the bat- 
ting in its progress tov/ard perfect play. 

What batsmen require for practice in learning to 
place balls is to practice against swift curve-line 
pitching. First, to bat against the " out curves," 
then against the "in curves;" then to try the 
various " shoots." But above ail, should the batsman 
practice wrist play in handling the bat against swift 



THE ART OF BATTING. 39 

pitching-. The most effective placing of the ball is 
done when runners are on bases and basemen neces- 
sarily hug their bases closer. With a runner on first 
base, and especially with one on second, a wrist-play 
hit of a swiftly pitched ball — almost a tap of the ball, 
as it were — will place the ball safely to right field and 
short of the outfielders' position. When a runner, 
too, is at second, and the second baseman and short- 
stop's attention is taken up by him, a similarly short 
hit high ball over the second baseman's head will 
earn a base, while a quick, sharp hit of the kind made 
while " facing for the pitcher," will frequently clear 
the third baseman's reach and send home the runner 
from second. Club managers or the captains of 
teams — whichever of the two have the daily training 
of the team in hand — should insist upon batting prac- 
tice in placing the ball, for until this is done very lit- 
tle improvement in batting can be expected. 

SACRIFICE HITTING. 

An essential part of good team work in batting is 
" sacrifice hitting." This is done whenever a bats- 
man, in his eflforts to place a ball properly when 
runners are on bases, hits the ball to the field in such 
a way as to oblige the fielders to put the runner out 
at first base, thereby enabling the runner at first base 
when the hit is made, to reach his second base safely. 
This sacrifice hitting is nearly equivalent to a base 
hit; in fact, it is fully as eflFective when it is done at 
the time a runner is at third base and only one man 



40 THE ART OF BATTING. 

out, for then it insures a run, and it is then really 
more valuable than a base hit made when no runners 
are on the bases. But sacrifice hits can only follow 
efforts to place a ball at right field, for otherwise they 
are merely chance hits. One advantage of a sacrifice 
hit is, that it relieves the batsman of the onus of being- 
charged with a poor hit, the latter being, of course, a 
hit to the field vyhich affords a plain chance for an 
out, either in the form of an easy catch or a chance to 
throw a runner out, whether that runner is the striker 
or a runner forced off. Of course no sacrifice hit can 
be made when two men are out, nor when there 
are no runners on bases. Every sacrifice hit which 
sends a runner home ought to be regarded as a base 
hit. Indeed, it is questionable whether all sacrifice 
hits made before more than one man is out should 
not be so credited, as they yield a base each time. No 
batsman can make a sacrifice hit if he goes to the bat 
simply with the idea of "slugging" at the ball, aS 
then his being put out by a hit which sends the run- 
ner round to the next base, is entirely an accidental 
hit. It is only when he makes an effort to place the 
ball, and in that effort hits it so as to make It a sacri- 
fice, that he is worthy of the credit of it. 

THE BATSMAN'S POSITION. 

Under the new rules of the League code, the bats- 
man's position has been materially improved, as will 
be seen by the appended diagrams, the one showing 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



41 



the League lines of the position, and the other those 
of the American Association's code. 

The advantage possessed by the League position 
lies in the fact that it affords more space to the bats- 
man for facing for right field, owing to the increase 
in width from three to four feet ; and by placing the 
position nearer to home base by six inches, the bats- 
man is enabled to reach out that much further for 
out curve balls. 



UNDER THE LEAGUE RULE. 

At the December convention of the National League 
in 1884, an important amendment was made to the 
rule defining the batsman's position, first in widening 
the position from three to four feet, and second. In 




placing the line of the position nearest the home base 
at six inches from the corner of the base instead of one 



42 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



foot as before. This was done to afford the batsman 
greater freedom of movement in facing for a hit to 
right field, and also to enable him to stand nearer the 
base in reaching for out curve balls. The new lines 
are shown in the diagram on page 41. 

It will be seen that the home base line is now ex- 
actly nine feet in length from the outside lines of the 
two positions; the batsman can step three feet forward 
of the base line or three feet back of it; and he can 
stand four feet distant from the home base or within 
six inches of it. 



UNDER THE AMERICAN RULE. 

The lines of the batsman's position under the 
American code of rules were not changed at the De- 
cember convention of 1884, and they remain as shown 
in the appended diagram. 




Ift. 


3 feet 


\ 


\ 
\ 
\ 
\ 



FUNGOES. 

There is no worse habit for batsmen to indulge in, 
than that of batting "fungo" balls ; that is, tossing the 



THE ART OF BATTING. 43 

ball in the air and hitting it to the tield. It trains the 
eye to meet the ball in batting it in a manner which 
never occurs in actual play. It ought to be prohibited 
on every well regulated ball field. If it be necessary 
to practice the fielder in making catches, or in stop- 
ping and fielding ground balls, let some outsider or 
other employe than the team player do the batting. 
And yet no match takes place on a professional 
ground that some two or more of the players of the 
team, in their preliminary practice, do not engage in 
fungo batting; in fact, they have no other practice at 
the bat than this child's play style of hitting. When 
facing the regular pitching in a match, they have to 
bat against swiftly delivered balls indeed, some are 
almost a direct line to the bat, and in order to meet 
such balls with effect, they need all the practice they 
can have in learning to sight such line balls. It can 
easily be seen, therefore, what a bad effect practice in 
hitting at balls which fall to the ground at right angles 
to the line of the pitcher's regular delivery has. 

HOME RUN HITTING. 

All batsmen who go in for a record strive their, ut- 
most to make home runs. They are well aware of 
the fact, that the majority of spectators at a match — 
especially in country towns — know little or nothing 
of what constitutes real skill in batting; the prevail- 
ing idea with the crowd being, that the best batsman 
is the "slugger," who manages to scratch a home run 
once out of every nine times at the bat. Hence 



44 THE ART OF BATTING. 

the eclat attendant upon a dashing hit of the kind is 
too tempting to resist, and hence they throw team 
work in batting to the dogs, and go in for a style of 
batting which pleases the crowd, though it proves 
costly in the long run to the success of a team in 
taking the lead in a championship race. A brief 
glance at the cost of a home run in wear and tear of 
a batsman's physical strength,*will show what a draw- 
back the slugging style of batting is in progress 
toward scientific hitting and thorough team work at 
the bat. Suppose nine men of one side in a match, 
go to the bat, and the first eight make single base hits 
in succession; the result will be that, when the ninth 
man goes to the bat, five runs will have been scored 
and earned, and three men will be occupants of 
bases; and all this will have been done at the least 
possible expenditure of physical strength in ruiniing 
bases. Suppose, on the other hand, that the first five 
men of the other side had made clean home runs, and 
that the other three were on bases, ready to be batted 
home by the ninth man, as in the case of the nine 
men first at the bat in the game. What vs^ould then 
have been accomplished ? Simply the same number 
of runs as by the single base hitters, but at what com- 
parative cost would the runs have been obtained? 
The answer is, that while, in the first case, the bats- 
men who had scored and earned their runs by single 
hits, v/ould be free from fatigue in running bases, and 
ready for active field work at once; while the home 
run hitters would be partially exhausted with their * 



THE ART OF BATTING. 45 

hundred and twenty yards spurts at their utmost 
speed, and unfit for their field duties without some 
rest. This is but one view of the subject of tlie 
costly character of the home run style of hitting, 
when compared to first-class team work in batting, 
in going in for single base hits, and good sacrifice hits 
after trying to place balls. Home runs are, of course, 
useful, but they should only be made the chief effort 
of a batsman's play in team work when the bases are 
occupied, and it will pay to run the chance of failure. 
Even then we prefer to see a good placer of a ball 
come to the bat, rather than a slugger. Another 
objection to home run hitters, lies in the fact, that, as 
a class, they become the easiest victims to strategic 
pitching. Besides the desire for the eclat attached 
to home run hitting elicited by the applause from the 
ignorant crowd, which acts as an inducement, there are 
the scoring rules of the game, and the mistaken sys- 
tem of press reporting in vogue. The former gives 
ofiicial prominence to the records of total base-hits 
and ignores sacrifice-hits. The reporters, as a gen- 
eral rule, see nothing worthy of special praise aside 
from "two-baggers,'' "three-baggers,'' and "home- 
runs." The custom of singling out for publication 
the names of batsmen who make these hits and runs 
is responsible for their striving more for this sort of 
glory than for the best interests of the club they 
represent. Alike in the field and at the bat, a man 
may do the most effective work in that branch of 
base ball technically called "sacrifice-play,'' and yet 



46 THE ART OF BATTING. 

not receive a word of credit for it at the hands of 
many of the reporters. Only let him get in a home- 
run, even though it be off the weakest kind of pitch- 
ing, and down will go his name in the score, and 
laudatory press reports will follow. All this is a hin- 
drance to the policy of " playing for the side," which 
is the great essential of success, and the only way 
for players to render a club the most effective service. 
Were the recording of two and three base-hits and 
home-runs al^andoned as a feature of scoring, and the 
recording of sacrifice-hits and other points of play 
incidental to earnest and honest co-operative work 
substituted, there would be much less of "playing for 
a !-ecord," regardless of the club interests, than there 
now is. 

WAITING FOR GOOD BALLS. 

The waiting for good balls is a strong point to 
play on a pitcher if it be properly done; but it will 
not do to wait for balls as too many batsmen do, that 
is to wait until they get a certain particular ball which 
is a pet ball with them. One thing essential in 
waiting for good balls is to be always ready to take 
prompt advantage of them when they do come, 
ruid not to be caught napping while out of good 
form for hitting. It is no discredit to a batsman to 
be sent to his base on called balls; on the contrary 
if he has the keen sight and good judgment to stand 
at the bat ready every time the ball is pitched to meet 
it and hit it to advantage— something requiring nervy 



THE ART OF BATTING. 47 

play in the face of a battery of swift curved balls — 
and he can thus drive the pitcher into giving him his 
base on balls, the batsman is playing a good point. 
Asa rule, the batsman who can judiciously wait for 
good balls is a player who very frequently proves 
troublesome to quick-tempered pitchers. These latter 
dislike being foiled in their efforts to get batsmen out 
of form, and when they find a man waiting patiently 
ball after ball until one comes within reach, and also 
showing himself to be on the alert to meet the 
first good ball that comes within his reach, they are 
very apt to begin to put on extra speed and thereby 
lose command of the ball to an extent sufficient to 
have balls called on them, and the result is that the 
batsman is rewarded for his skilful policy by having 
his base given him on called balls. Wait for good 
balls, but do it while being fully on the alert to meet 
them when they do come in. 

BATTING FOR THE SIDE. 

Up to the season of 1884 there was not one out of 
twenty professional batsmen whoever troubled them- 
selves about playing for the side at the bat. Fielders 
might do it sometimes, because a failure to do so is 
more apparent to outsiders than it is in batting. But to 
sacrifice the prevailing ambition to play for a batting 
record at the shrine of playing for the side is 
seldom thought of by the majority of the professional 
class of batsmen. Batting for the side is only shown 
when the efforts of the batsman are exerted solely 



48 THE ART OF BATTING. 

in the interests of enabling his side to score runs. 
For instance, suppose the first striker has made a base 
hit and earned and secured first base. The point for 
the succeeding batsman to phiy before all others is to 
get that runner forwarded to second base or further 
round if he can. The batsman who goes in for a 
record only never troubles himself about the runner 
who is on the base waiting for a chance to steal to 
the next base, or to be batted round. He only thinks 
of the "big hit" he wants to make on. his own special 
account. If in striving for this special hit, he either 
forces the runner out anJ thereby gets a base himself 
or is put out by a running catch in the out-field he 
considers himself in "hard luck" when such a result 
is entirely due to his willful and studied neglect of 
scientific batting. On the other hand if he is a team 
player — that is a player who in his bcttting as well as 
fielding makes his own special record of secondary 
importance to the interests of the team as a whole in 
winning the game, his whole attention when he goes 
to the bat will be devoted to the point of doing his 
best to forward the runner round, if on first base, or 
in getting the runner home if the latter is on third. 
In other words, he does his best to play for the side. 
In doing this he is just as ready to make a sacrifice 
hit as in any other way to give advantage to the 
team he is in. 

PLAYING FOR A RECORD. 

Though, under the existing method of making out 



THE ART OF BATTING. 49 

the yearly averages of a club team, it apparently pays 
a batsmau better to play for a record than to bat for 
the side in his team work,. the latter policy in the 
long run will inure more to his ultimate benefit than 
any mere record playing. The latter shows in the 
list of averages and that is all it does. Take the 
nine men who lead in the average at the bat in the 
records of a season's play and place them in a team 
against nine men who are known to excel in good 
team work in batting for the side, and the former 
would prove to be no match for the latter in winning 
the series of matches for the championship. Take 
for instance the American records of club average in 
batting and what do we see; simply the Athletic Club 
at the head of the list in batting average, though in 
the pennant race in winning games they stood sixth 
on the list. In the first place it is not such batting as 
is now in vogue that wins matches, but superior field- 
ing and base running, the latter especially. When 
batsmen learn the art of skilful batting then that de- 
partment of the game will be more of an essential of 
success in winning mafches than it now is. In the 
meantime sharp base running and good field support 
of effective pitching has far more to do with victory 
than has the style of batting hitherto in vogue, which 
is largely that of batting for a record. 

It would surprise some of the managers of base 
ball clubs could they get at the inside of the profes- 
sional player's work and see how many batsmen 
sacrifice the interests of their club by efforts to play 



50 THE ART OF BATTING. 

for an individual record. The publishing of weekly 
and monthly averages at the bat also tends strongly 
to induce the batsmen to go for individual records; 
and it is pertinent to remark just here that the 
season's averages as far as published exhibit very 
plainly the utter uselessness of attempting to estimate 
a player's value to his team by the figures of his 
batting averages. 

CONFIDENCE IN HITTING. 

Confidence in one's ability to hit the ball with 
effect is half the battle in batting. To go up to the 
bat with a feeling of expectancy of ftiilure and only a 
hope of success, is simply to court defeat. Confidence 
in hitting is born of a plucky and nervy determina- 
tion to deserve success by skillful efforts to secure it. 
It won't do to face the pitcher with any feeling of 
doubt as to your ability to punish his pitching; nor 
can you attain any degree of confidence in batting if 
you have any fear of the speed of the delivery. You 
must face the hot fire courageously, dependii:g upon 
keen sight to watch the direction of the ball closely ; 
and also stand in such form, when ready to meet the 
ball from a swift delivery, as to insure your being 
able to step aside safely to avoid the impending blow 
from a badly pitched ball. There is an innate feeling 
of confidence in one's ability to hit the ball, which is 
the result of a practical knowledge of all the points 
of play in batting, VN^hich leads a batsman skilled in 
scientific hitting to punish pitching when the slugging 



THE ART OF BATTING. 5I 

style of batsman invariably fails. Such a batsman 
goes up to the bat without a doubt as to his being 
able to " hit the pitching," and this confident feeling 
is the very power which enables him to succeed. 
Without it, practice in batting fails of its primary 
purpose, which is to give the batsman confidence in 
hitting. The difference between being confident in 
hitting and lacking confidence, is often strikingly 
illustrated when batsmen face a noted strategist for 
the first time. If, wlien they go to the bat, they are 
told that they are about to face the most effective 
pitcher in the country, they will at once imagine 
that every ball he sends in is fraught with some dan- 
ger or other to the hopes of a successful hit, which 
at once deprives them of what little confidence they 
otherwise might have had. On the other hand, if 
the pitcher is one they only know of as an untried 
man in the position — no matter what his real ability 
may be — they go up to the bat with a degree of con- 
fidence which almost insures success at the outset. 
Frank Pidgeon's remark to the Eckfords when they 
went to the bat to face the Atlantics in the olden 
days, illustrates the depressing effect prestige of skill 
has in depriving batsmen of confidence in hitting. 
Frank said to his men one day, on the old Manor 
House grounds, when the Eckfords were losing 
ground in their game with the Atlantics, " Go up to 
the bat, men, and forget all about these fellows being 
the Atlantics, and think they are only an ordinary 
nine you're playing against." It is just such a feeling 



52 THE ART OF BATTING. 

as Frank referred to in this case that loses half the 
games played. Indeed, some teams, when they face 
noted rivals, are beaten before they strike a single 
blow. 

Sometimes a sudden degree of confidence is in. 
spired in a certain class of batsmen, when they reach 
a particular innings in a match, one, for instance, in 
which they have been generally lucky enough to score 
runs; and it frequently happens that they will then 
and there " get onto a streak of batting " which will 
pull them out of the fire. It was a peculiarity of the 
old Atlantic batsmen that they never felt discouraged 
or lost hope of ultimate success in a match until the 
last man was out in the last innings, and the feeling 
of confidence in batting which was thus inspired, en- 
abled them to pull many an apparently lost game out 
of the fire. Let a man go up to the bat to face the 
pitcher with the idea that he is too difficult a pitcher 
to punish, and the very lack of confidence in his own 
power will make him an easy victim. Let, however, 
the batsman face the pitching confident that he can, 
by his quick sight, command of the bat, and ability to 
prevent the fielder from outwitting him, make good 
hits, and as sure as the ball comes within his legiti- 
mate reach he will hit it safely five times out of six. 
To retain this confidence, therefore, is the essential 
point in batting; to destroy it, the great point in 
pitching. 



THE ART OF BATTING. 



FOUL AND FAIR BALLS. 



53 



The important difference between balls hit high 
from the bat and those hit almost directly to the 
o-round, as applicable to the rule defining fair and foul 
hit balls, is frequently lost sight of, alike by players 
and spectators. If a ball be hit up in the air it becomes 
"fair" or "foul" according to its falling on "fair" or 
"foul" ground. But if it be hit direct to the ground^ 
it becomes "fair" or "foul" according to \X.%Jinal stop- 
■pao-e on "fair" or "f ml" ground before passing either 
first or third base. The appended diagram illustrates 
the difference above referred to. 



^m»^c^&^^ 




THE BATTING RULES. 

Rule io. The Batsman'' s Lines must be straight 
lines forming the boundaries of a space on the right, 
and of a similar space on the left of the Home Base, 
six feet long by four feet wide, extending three feet 
in front of and three feet behind the center of the 



54 THE ART OP^ BATTING. 

Home Base, and with its nearest line distant one foot 
from the Home Base. 

Rule 14. The Bat. 

( I ) Must be made wholly of wood, except that the 
handle may be wound with twine not to exceed 
eighteen inches from the end. 

(3) It must be round, except that a portion of the 
Surface may be flat on one side, and it must not ex- 
ceed two and one-half inches in diameter in the 
thickest part, and must not exceed forty-two inches in 
length. 

Rule 33. A Fair Hit is a ball batted by the 
Batsman, standing in his position, that first touches 
the ground, the First Base, the Third Base, the part 
of the person of a pla^'er, or any other object that is 
in front of or on either of the Foul Lines, or {excep- 
tion^ batted directly to the ground by the Batsman, 
standing in his position, that (whether it first touches 
Foul or Fair Ground) bounds or rolls within the 
Foul Lines, between Home and First, or Home and 
Third Bases, without first touching the person of a 
player. 

Rule 33. A Foul Hit is a ball batted by the 
Batsman, standing in his position, that first touches 
the ground, the part of the person of a player, or any 
other object that is behind either of the Foul Lines, 
or that strikes the person of such Batsman, while 
standing in his position, or {^exceptio7z) batted directly 
to the ground by the Batsman, standing in his posi- 
tion, that (whether it first touches Foul or Fair 



THT2 ART OF BATTING. 55 

Ground) bounds or rolls outside the Foul Lines, be- 
tween Home and First, or Home and Third Bases, 
without first touching the person of a player. 

Rule 34. When a batted ball passes outside the 
grounds, the Umpire shall decide it fair should it dis- 
appear within, or foul should it disappear outside of 
the range of the foul lines, and Rules 33 and 33 are 
to be construed accordingly. 

Rule 35. A Strike is 

( I ) A ball struck at by the Batsman without its 
touching his bat; or 

(3) A ball legally delivered by the Pitcher at the 
height called for by the Batsman, and over the Home 
Base, but not struck at by the Batsman. 

Rule 36. A Foul Strike is a ball batted by the 
Batsman when any part of his person is upon ground 
outside the lines of the Batsman's position. 

Rule 50. The Batsman^ ojt taking his position^ 
must call for a " High Ball," a " Low Ball," or a 
" High or Low Ball," and the Umpire shall notify 
the Pitcher to deliver the ball as required; such call 
shall not be changed after the first ball delivered. 
The Umpire shall count and call every " Unfair 
Ball " delivered by the Pitcher, and every " Dead 
Ball," if also an "Unfair Ball," as a "Ball;" and he 
shall also count and call every " Strike." Neither a 
"Ball" nor a "Strike" shall be called or counted 
until the ball has passed the Home Base. 

Rule 51. The Batsman is out^ 

( I ) If he fails to take his position at the bat in 



56 THE ART OF BATTING. 

his order of batting, unless the error be discovered, 
and the proper Batsman takes his position before a 
fair hit has been made, and in such case the balls and 
strikes called will be counted in the time at bat of the 
proper Batsman. 

(3) If he foils to take his position within one 
minute after the Umpire has called for the Batsman. 

(3) If he makes a Foul Hit, and the ball be mo- 
mentarily held by a fielder before touching the ground, 
provided it be not caught in a fielder's hat or cap, or 
touch some object other than the fielder before being 
caught. 

(4) If he makes a Foul Strike. 

(5) If he plainly attempts to hinder the Catcher 
from fielding the ball, evidently without effort to 
make a fair hit. 

Rule 52. 1 he Batsman beco7nes a base runnier 
( I ) Instantly after he makes a Fair Hit. 

(2) Instantly after six Balls have been called by 
the Umpire. 

(3) Instantly after three strikes have been de- 
clared by the Umpire. 



BASS BAIiIi SHIRTS. 




FANCY SHIELD SHIRT, 



LACED SHIRT FRONT. 



No. 



o. Extra quality Shirt, of extra heavy flannel, 

made expressly for our League Club trade, Each. PerDoz 
any style, White, Blue or Gray $5 oo $54 00 

T. Firstquality twilled flanneljWhite, Blue or Red 400 42 <X) 

2. Second quality twilled flannel, White, Blue or 

Gray..., 325 3600 

3. Third quality, Shaker flannel, White only. ... 2 25 24 00 

4. Boys' size only, of fourth quality 150 1800 

To Measure for Shirt. — Size Collar worn. Length of 

Sleeve, bent, from center of back. Size around Chest. Length 
of Yoke from shoulder to shoulder. 

BASE BAIili PANTS. 

No. Each. Dozen. 

O. Extra quality flannel Pants, 

Wh'te, Blue or Gray $5 00 $54 00 

First quality twilled flannel, 

White, Blue or Red 400 4200 

Second quality twilled flannel. 

White, Blue or Gray 325 3600 

Third quality , Shaker flannel. 
White only 225 2400 

To Measure for Pants. — Size around 
waist. Length of outside seam from waist to 
eight inches below the knee (for full length 
pants measure to the foot). Length of inside 
seam. Size around hips. 

A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 




108 Madison Street, 
CHICAGO. 



241 Broadway, 
NEW YORK, 



SPALDING'S BASE BALL BELTS—Worsted Web Belts. 

Our No. o, or League Club Belt is made of best Worsted Webbing-, 2% 
inches wide, mounted in best manner, with large nickel plated buckle, the 
finest belt made. Our No. i belt is made of same webbing, leather mounted. 
We use the following colors of webbing. In ordering, please state the 
color wanted, and size around waist. 



7-«?-yj5^, 





Style G. 
•' H. 



Red, White Edge. 
Blue, 



Style A. Red. 

" B. Blue. 

" C. Navy Blue. 
No. o. League Club Belt, of any of the above colors, nickel plated 

buckle as shown in above cut. Per Dozen $6.00 




No. I. Worsted Web Belt, same colors as above, mounted in leather, 
with two broad straps and buckles as shown in above cut. 
Per doz St-SO 

SPALDING'S COTTON WEB BELTS. 

Our Cotton Web Belts are made of best quality Cotton Webbing, in the 
following fast colors. In ordering please state color, and size around waist. 
Style L. Red. Style O. Blue, White Style R. Red and White, 

Edge. Narrow Stripe. 

" M. Blue. " P. Red, ^Vhite " S. Blue and White, 

and Blue. Narrow Stripe. 

" N. Red, White " Q. White. " T. Yellow & Black, 

Edge. Wide Stripe. 

No. 3. Cotton Web Belts, any of above colors, large patent nickel. 

plated buckle. Per dozen $4.00 

No. 4. Cotton Web, Leather Mounted Per doz.$2.50 

SPALDING'S BASE BALL STOCKINGS, p^k i^oz. 

No. o. League Regulation, made of the finest worsted j-arn. The 
following colors can be obtained: White, Light Blue, Navy Blue, 

Scarlet, Grav, Green, Old Gold, Brown $18.00 

No. I. Fine Quality Woolen Stockings, Scarlet, Blue or Brown 12.00 

No. 2. Good " " " " " " 9.00 

No. 3. Second *' " " " or Blue, with "White 
or drab cotton feet 6.00 

A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 

108 Madison Street, 241 Broadway, 

CHICAGO. NEW YORK. 



IBase Ball Sli.oe3. 





No. I. 



No. 2. 



No, I. League Club Shoe. Same as used by J. eague Clubs. Made 

Horsehide in the best manner. Price per pair $6.00 

No. 2. Chicago Club Shoe. Hxtra quality canvas, foxed with French 

calf. The Standard Screw Fastener is used. Price per pair. 4.00 





No. 3. No. 4. 

No. 3. Amateur, or Practice Shoe. Good quality canvas, strap 

over instep. Price per pair $200 

No. 3X. Amateur Base Ball Shoe for Boys. Second quality canvas. 

Price per pair. , i 50 

*S«, 4. Oxford Tie Base Ball Shoe. Low cut, canvas. Price per pair 2 00 

SPALDING'S SHOE PLATES. 

Our new^ desig^n League Steel Shoe 
Plate has become the favorite plate 
among League players during the past 
season, and we have this year added it to 
our regular line of shoe plates. It is 
made by hand of the best quality English 
steel, and so tempered that it will not 

^^ bend or break. The peculiar shape of 

\ ^J:^^= / \. ==;s> ^ '^the plate is shown in the adjoining cut. 

'The majority of Leap-ue players use this 
plate on the toe, ana our No. i,or Pro- 
fessional Plate, on the heel. Each pair 
of plates — right and left — are put up with 
screws. Per p^r 

Pair. Doz. 
No. o. Spalding's League Shoe Plate, $ 50 $5 00 
No. I. Spalding's Professional Shoe 
Plate, as shown in the adjoining 
cut, is made of first quality steel. 
It is lighter and smaller than the 
No. o plate, but will render good 
service. Each pair put up with 

screws, complete 25 2 c;o 

No. 2. Spalding's Malleable Iron Shoe 
Plate, light and durable, with 

screws 15 15° 

Any of the above Shoe Plates mailed upon receipt of price. Address 

A. G. SPALDING 8c BROS., 

108 Madison Street, 241 Broadway, 

CHICAGO. NEW YOKK. 




BASE BALL CAPS AND HATS. 




No. II 



No. 13. 



No. 19. 



No. 21. 



No. 
No. 
No. 

No. 



No. 
No. 1 1. 
No. n. 
No. 13. 
No 19. 
No. 19. 
No. 21. 



Leag'ue Parti 'colored Cap $ 

Base Ball Hat, any color 

Base Ball Cap, Chicago style, any color, 

with or v/ithout stripes 

Base Ball Cap, Boston shape, without star, 

any colors 

Ditto, all white only "..,', ...... 

Base Ball Cap, Jockey shape, any color.. 

Ditto, all white only , 

Base Ball Cap, Boston shape, with star.. 

Base Ball Skull Cap, any color 

Ditto, white only 

College Base Ball Cap, any color 



St. qual. 2d qual. 3d qual. 



13 00 
iS 00 



9 00 



[5 00 



No. 21. Ditto, white only. 

Boys' Flannel Caps, p'ir dozen 

" Cotton Caps, Red, White, or Blue 

In addition to the styles above mentioned, we are 
style of Cap known, and will furnish at prices cor'-e; 

BAT BAGS. 



6 00 
6 00 
6 CO 
6 00 
6 00 
6 00 
6 00 
6 00 
6 00 

$4 00 

3 00 

preparad to make any 
iponding to above. 



9 00 
9 00 
9 00 
9 00 
9 00 
9 00 
9 00 
9 00 
9 00 



No. o. League 
Club Bat Bag, made 
of sole leather, with 
name outside, to hold 
two dozen bats. Each 

$iS CO 

No. 1. Canvas Bat Bag, leather ends, lo hold Iwo dozen bats $5 00 

No. 2. Canvas Bat Bag, leather ends, to hold one dozen bats 4 00 

No. 01. Spalding's new design, individual, sole leather Bat Bag for 

two bats, as used by the players of the Chicago club each, 4 00 

No. 02. Same size and style as aoove, made of strong canvas. . . " i 50 




BASES. 



No. 



League Club Bases, made of extra 
canvas, stuffed and quilted com- 
plete, with straps and spikes, with- 
out home plate Per set of three $7 50 

Canvas Bases, \vith straps and 
spikes, complete ^vithout home 
plate 

Marble Home plate 

Iron " " 



No. 



5 c» 
3 00 
I 00 



A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 



108 Madison Street, 
CHICAGO. 



241 Broadway, 
NEW YORK. 




Spalding's Trade-Marked Catcher's Cloves^ 

After considerable ex- 
pense and many experi- 
ments we have finally 
perfected a Catcher s 
Glove that meets with 
general favor from pro- 
"^fessional catchers. 

The olu ot/ie of open 
backed gloves intro- 
duced bj us several 
years ago is still adhered 
to, but the quality of 
material and workman- 
ship has been materially 
improved, until now we can lay claim to having the best line 
of catcher's gloves on the market. These gloves do not inter- 
fere with throwing, can be easily put on and taken oft", and no 
player subject to sore hands should be without a pair of these 
gloves. We make these gloves in four difterent grades, as 
follows : 

Price per Pair. 

No. oo. Spalding's Full Left-Hand Catcher's 
Gloves, made of extra heavy Indian tanned 
buck, with full left-hand, usual style right 
hand, open backs and well padded, fully war- 
ranted. Best catcher's glove made .$3 50 

No o. Spalding's League Club Catcher's Gloves, 
made of extra heavy Indian tanned buck, and 
carefully selected with special reference to the 
hard service required of them, open back, well 
padded, and fully warranted 2 50 

No. I. Spalding's Professional Gloves, made of 
Indian tanned buckskin, open back, well 
- padded, but not quite as heavy material as the 
No. o 2 00 

No. 2. Spalding's Amateur Gloves, made of lighter 
buckskin, open back, well padded and adapted 
for amateur players i 5° 

No. 3. Spalding's Practice Gloves, made of light 

material, open back, well padded i 00 

No. 4. Spalding's Boy's Gloves, open back, well 

padded, and made only in boy's sizes i 00 

i^^ Any of the above Gloves mailed postpaid on receipt of 

price. In ordering, please give size of ordinary dress gloves 

usually worn. 

A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 



108 Madison Street, 
CHICAGO. 



241 Broadway, 

NEW YORK. 




Spaldins's Trade-Marked Catcher's Mask. 

The first Catcher's Mask 
brought out in 1875, was a 
very heavy, clumsy affair, and 
it was not until we invented 
our open-eyed mask in 1877 
that it came into general use. 
Now it would be considered 
unsafe and even dangerovis for 
a catcher to face the swift un- 
derhand throwing of the pres- 
ent day unless protected by a 
reliable mask. The increased 
demand for these goods has 
brought manufacturers into 
the field who, having no repu- 
tation to sustain, have vied 
with each other to see how 
cheap they could make a so- 
called mask, and in consequence have ignored the essential 
qualification, strength. A cheaply made, inferior quality of 
mask is much worse than no protection at all, for a broken 
wire or one that will not stand the force of the ball without 
caving in, is liable to disfigure a player for life. We would 
warn catchers not to trust their faces behind one of these cheap 
made masks. Our trade-marked masks are made of the very 
best hard wire, plated to prevent rusting, and well trimmed, 
and every one is a thorough face protector. We shall make 
them in three grades as described below, and with our increased 
facilities for manufacturing, are enabled to improve the quality, 
and at the same time reduce the price. 

Beware of counterfeits. None genuine withotct our Trade 
Mark stamped on each Mask. 

No. o. Spalding's Special League Mask, used by Each, 
all the leading professional catchers, extra 
heavy wire, well padded with goat hair and the 
padding faced with the best imported dogskin, 
which is impervious to perspiration and retains 

its pliability and softness $3 00 

No. 2. Spalding's Amateur Mask, made the same 
size and general style as the League Mask, 
but with lighter wire and faced with leather, 
(we guarantee this mask to be superior to so- 
called professional Masks sold by other manu- 
facturers) „ 2 00 

No. 3. Spalding's Boy's Mask, similar to the Ama- 
teur Mask, only made smaller to fit a boy's 
face I 75 

It^* Any of these Masks mailed postpaid on receipt of price. 



SPALDING'S T RADE-M ARKED BATS. 

These celebrated bats were first introduced in 1877, and they have 
e-radually grown into popularity, until now they are used almost 
exclusively by ail prominent professional and amateur players. 
AUthetimber used in these bats is allowed to season from one to 
two yeurs'in the sim before being made up, and the result is we are 
enabled to make much lip hter and stronger bats than ^\ here the limber 
is hastily "kiln-dried." as done bv nearly all manufacturers of ch. ap 
L'oods. Each but is turned by hand, after the most approved and 
varied models, and if found to answer the requirements as to 
weight, size, length, etc. the trade-mark is stamped on each bat to 
insure its genuineness. We point with much pride to the handsome 
testimonials given these bats bv the leading batters of the country, 
as shown by their universal and continued use. 



PRICES. 

SPALDING'S TRADE MAE-KED BATS. 

Each. 
No. GO. Spalding's 2d Growth Ash, Black Band 
League Bat, Patent Granulated Han- 
dle. 7SC 

" o. Spalding^s 2d Growth Ash, Black Band, 

League Bat, Plain Handle 7Sc 

" I Spalding's Trade Marked Ash Bat 40c 

j< 2 " " " Cherry Bat.. 40c 

« * << " " Bass " .. 30c 

„ ^' « " «< Willow *' .. Soc 

Tb " Boy's " " Ash " .. 30c 

^g' << '' " «' Bass •' .. 2SC 

SPALDING'S TRADE MARKED FANCY BATS. 

A. Spalding's Fancy Ash, Full Polished. 6oc 
p^p^ ' It ^^ " «' " and 

Patent Granulated Handle 75^ 

B. Spalding's Fancy Bass, Full Polished . 60c 
JJJ3 <i << " " and 

Patent Granulated Handle 75c 

PLAIN FINISHED BATS. 

Men's Ash Bats, plain finish, 36 to 40 in. . 

" Bass " " 361040 m.. 

Boy's Ash " " 28 to 34 in.. 

" Bass " " 28 to 34 in.. 

FANCY BATS. 



To Clubs. 
Per doz. 



$8 o 



No. 



No. 



750 
400 
400 
3 SO 

5 00 
3 00 
2 go 

$600 

650 
600 

6 §0 



25c 
20c 
ISC 
ISC 



No. 10. Cherry Bats, oiled, selected timber 



Ash Bats, one-half polished 30c 

.,.,.,, 200 

50C 



$250 

2 00 
150 
ISO 

$250 

3 00 
300 
S 00 
S 00 

500 

Soo 
600 
600 



" 12. Bass Bats, one-half polished. 

" 13. Ash Bats, full polished ^ 

«' 14, Bass Bats, full polished Soc 

«« 15. Aeh Bals, wound handles, plain 50c 

No. 16. Buss Bats, v/ou:ul handles, plain . . • Soc 

" 17. Ash Bats, wound handles, hi-hly ] olished 6oc 

" 18 Bass Bats, wound handles, highly polished coc 

Save express Charges by sending money with order, that we may send 
by freight. 

A. G. SPALDING & BROS.. 
.41 Broadway, io8 Madison Street, 

NEW YORK. CHICAt^U. 



Spalding's Trade Marked Base Balls. 





No. 1. Spalding's Official League Ball.— As adopted by the Per 
National League and other prominent professional and Each. Doz. 
amateur associations for 1SS5, each ball wrapped in tin 
foil and put up in a separate box, and sealed in accord- 
ance with the latest League regulations $I $0 $15 OO 

No. lA. Spalding's Associatii^n Ball. — Made in accordance 
with tlie specifications of the American Association, 
each ball wrajipcd in tin foil and put up in a separate 
box and sealed. ^^ arr anted to last a full game without 
ripping or losing its shape i 25 13 5° 

No. 2. Spalding's Professi nal Dead Ball, white.— The best 
dead ball made, covered with selected horsehide. 
Every ball warranted to last a game of nine innings ... i 25 12 00 

No. 2R. Spalding's Professional Dead Ball, red.— Same as 

No. 2, only colored red 1 25 12 OO 

No. 3. Spalding's Amateur Dead Ball, white.— Covered 
with horsehide, and especially adapted for practice 
games. Every ball wrrranted I 00 9 00 

No. 3 B. Spalding's Amatevir Dead Ball, red.— Same as 

No. 3, only colored red I 00 9 00 

No. XX. Spalding's Amateur Iiively Ball, w^hite.— Cov- 
ered with horsehide. To meet the growing demand for 
a good lively ball, at a medium price, we have this sea- 
son added this grade I 00 9 00 

No. 4. Spalding's American Club Ball, white. — Covered 
with horsehide. A good serviceable ball, and especially 
adapted for boys' match games 75 750 

No. 5. Spalding's King of the Diamond Ball, white. -Cov- 
ered with horsehide, regulation size and weight. A 
good bail for catching and throwing 50 500 

No. 6. Spalding's Grand Duke Ball, white. — Covered with 

horsehide, ngnlation size and weight 35 3 S^ 

No. 7. Spalding's Boys* Favorite, white. — Regulation size 

and weight. A good boys' ball 25 250 

No. 8. Spalding's Eureka Ball, white. — A trifle under the, 
regulation size and weight. The best cheap ball for 
the money on the market 20 200 

No. 9. Spalding's Rattler Ball, white.— Size, S^ inches; 

weight, 4^ oz. Thebestandlargestioc. ball made... 10 I OO 

No. 11. Spalding's Nickel Ball.— Size, "]% in. ; weight, 30Z. 
Packed one dozen in a box, half all red, half all white. 

The best juvenile 5c. ballon the market 5 5° 

Spalding's Sample Case of Balls.— Containing one each of the above balls, 
packed in a handsome partition case, suitable for traveling salesmen 
or shov/- windows. Special prices mtjde to dealers. 
Any of the above balls mailed postpaid upon receipt of price. 

Address, A. G. SPALDING & BROS., 
108 Madison St., CHICAGO. 241 Broadway, NEW YORK. 



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